With a massive budget crisis and growing questions about strategy, the upcoming House vote on President Obama’s request for $33 billion in “emergency” funding for the war in Afghanistan faces an usually uphill battle, with opposition from both wings.
Recent claims from ousted Intelligence Chief Amrullah Saleh that President Karzai has lost faith in the US war effort have fueled questions among Republicans, particularly with so many questions about Karzai’s ability to lead.
Among Democrats, the rising cost of the war and questions about how its funding can be reconciled with funding various health and education programs is also adding to the doubts.
Just three months ago a resolution against ending the war in Afghanistan was soundly defeated in the House, but the growing death toll, the growing cost, and the increasingly obvious reality that the latest US war plan, like so many others, is falling short of expectations, means the next vote could well be far closer.
Pfff, he'll just beat the war drums and they'll give him billions more of our tax dollars.
We are broke. Lets end it not mend it . Bring all the troops home now, Afganistan, Iraq, the Mideast, Europe and Asia. Let the world defend itself.
America … $33 billion for war funds, while unemployment funds stay stalled over concerns for the deficit.
Actually, didn't I hear that the Senate version of this was up to $60 billion after they added all their pork to that. Wouldn't it be nice if a bill that helps ordinary Americans ever did that …. have Congress double the money involved just out of the goodness of their hearts?
There are serious problems in our Congress when the bills that help Americans are always held up and stalled, while money for wars seems to always be found.
"Among Democrats, the rising cost of the war and questions about how its funding can be reconciled with funding various health and education programs is also adding to the doubts."
All spending, whether for military or social programs, must be diminished if America ever is to return to fiscal sanity. Ending the wars would most obviously be a great start in reducing our budget deficits. So too would abolishing Social Security which in actuality is not an entitlement program so much as it is an intergenerational ponzi scheme. Far better would it be were there a gold standard whereby people could protect themselves against inflation with precious metals rather than rely on state paper. Real social security is when the state refrains from meddling with the currency. A serendipitous benefit of ridding ourselves of the Social Security system would be the reclaiming of jobs that hitherto had been offshored abroad by corporations to avoid the taxes necessary to fund retirement pensions. This move could make American markets more competitive with cheap labor and many businesses could find incentive to return to the US thus reducing the trade deficit as revived manufacturing begins once more to invigorate exports.
"All spending, whether for military or social programs, must be diminished if America ever is to return to fiscal sanity."
Yep, its not that the Democrats have a problem spending the $ just on what. Take the $33 billion from the wars and they will gladly flush it down the crapper some where else. (I mean the republicans would too but perhaps a different crapper)
This is fantasy. Social Security is not a Ponzi scheme. Rather, the robbing of the fund is what makes it problematic. Comparatively, many retirement systems (small local governments for example) have always invested in the market, and have always been able to have good retirements with health care funded. But they have their OWN fund management, and the money is not turned over to mutual fund sharks. The same local governments are able to borrow from the fund for its local needs, such as roads. So, a person pays approximately one third into a well managed, retirement system, as compared to payments to Social Security, and gets in benefits much more. As an example, a person gets $50,000 annually from a local government retirement pay, and about $18,000 in Social Security. And the same local government contributes only 1% to employees 99% contribution into the fund. Let's not be SILLY. Get our TRUST FUND under professional management, not into rotten 401K, where the fund managers pick out winners, and have the loosers stuffed into our stocking. When will we EVER learn?
The fantasy is that federal Social Security was anything but an entitlement insurance program or a trust fund. As Tom Woods explains it:
"This is what actually happens. What Social Security receipts exceed the amount needed to pay benefits, the surplus goes into the so-called trust fund. That money is instantly spent by the federal government on whatever current expenditures the government chooses to use it for. It is not earmarked for a specific individual; it is not even earmarked for retirement payments in general. It is devoted to expenditures that are totally unrelated to the Social Security program. The money people contribute to the Social Security program, therefore, is not sitting there waiting to be paid back to them in their retirement; much less is it productively invested and earning interest. Some of it goes from their pockets directly to current Social Security recipients and some goes to the federal government's expenditures."
In sum, let's abolish federal Social Security and encourage the small-scale local systems in its stead. That, or make it legal to redeem cash for precious metals which will be proof against inflation so retirees savings will retain their value.
Now there is that little ol' oil leak that needs fixin' and a whole big Gulf of Mexico that needs cleanin' up which needs spending money on. Obviously, BP can't handle it. But alas, boys will be boys (and silly girls) being that they rather be out playing guns and robbers in some foreign country instead.
That's not a big deal. Obama said so! Although he is looking to kick some ass. LOL
It is in the interest of every one that war is endet and try to help with less money i.c. 2-3 dollars for civil projects in Afghanistan.
Peace brings and war destroys every thing but this is American and Jews policy to follow only war wars and wars.
I am strong against every type of lies and wars.
Does anyone ask themselves why Obama is so determined to have war 24/7?
What is wrong with him?
He seems not only incompetent, but cruel.
Or evil.
Obama is a Sith. Any day now I expect his eyes to turn yellow.
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.sm…
Military cuts? Has America TOTALLY lost its mind? People, there are still ENEMIES out there, folks who hate America. Better to fight 'em 'over there' than in our own schools and hospitals…
But seriously, I've always taken it for granted that the VERY LAST group that will see its budget cut is the War Pigs. What Obama hasn't copied from Bush, he has covered for Bush – whitewashing Bush's torture chambers for example – to the point that it's obvious that they both serve the same master. The shrieks of 'outrage' that would accompany cuts to the parasitic military would break eardrums. Can't see it happening.
God Bless America.
Time for another round of arm twisting from Nancy and Rahm. Funny how you won't ever see these tactics when those two are compromising their mandates away. Only when it really counts.
The greater are involment in these countries the greater the likelihood of another terrorist attack. You don’t see Brazil, Chile or Japan worried about an attack (none have militry involment overseas). The BIG LIE is that the more we get involved in these countries civil wars the safer we will be. Just the opposite is true.
So true.
We should be dropping food, water and medicine – not bombs.
Who could hate or want to fight someone who is feeding you if you re hungry?
Governments have long ago lost sight of any reality – except war.
Or we could stop bombing these countries so they can support the agricultural infrastructure sufficient to feed themselves so we do not have to drop food supplies either.
Open letter to President Obama.
The oil companies since the beginning have been the cause of social economic, political and now occupation in Middle East by the NATO and US army. It is an international problem and as we the people are aware of it so I think you and people who works for you are as well.
By asking for more money to fight a endless Afghanistan (Middle East) war it seams like the catastrophes that people in Gulf of Mexico are facing., with BP gushing oil with no guarantee that BP or any other power be able to stop it., at least for now; furthermore, if the oil spill stopped then there is a problem with environments.., cleaning efforts which would take many years to repair. By then the damage is done and that is people trust in government and what government means and can do for people. All that name-calling, hearings and news and etc. are good to hear and see that senators are angry at Oil companies and their imprudent attitude toward safety and people., yet the gushing oil is doing its part to harm people and the environment where people work and make a living. It is time to stop the wars in Middle East, make sure that the peace is the issue of the day for the feature of Middle East and respected by those who are against it, perhaps by brining them to the table of peace and making sure that they do respect the laws then and only then the gushing of war well vanish and peace will flourish. Having said that, all effort needed to stop the gushing oil from Gulf of Mexico your effort is also needed to stop the war.
Scale back our military adventures – are you serious? We are just getting ready for the feature event of the show. – total war with Iran. Our Israeli ring masters are cracking their whips and our Congress dogs are leaping thru the hoops without thinking twice. The band is playing the Marine Corps Hymn, everything is wrapped in red-white and blue bunting and the rubes are screaming, with tears of patriotic idiocy running down their stupid faces. .
True, a thinking society would question our Iraq/Afghanistan follys, but this country quit thinking about anything a long time ago.. We are proud to be suckers.