Its five times more than any other military on the planet intends to spend this year, but Secretary of Defense Robert Gates today chastised Congress for failing to approve a new increased 2011 budget and leaving the military operating at 2010 levels.
According to Gates, keeping spending at 2010 levels, which would mean spending $526 billion again, would be so devastating as to “hollow out” the US military. He also added that those opposed to the new budget, which will be beyond $700 billion by most indications, are not living in the real world.
Gates made the comments while flying in an enormously expensive plane en route to Ottawa, Canada, and insisted that while it might be appropriate to talk about cuts “that may or may not happen in four or five years” it was wholly inappropriate to expect the Pentagon to survive on the paltry half a trillion dollars they were given last year.
The Obama Administration has offered “cuts” of $7 to $8 billion in the 2011 military budget, but this is off of the initial estimates for their massive increases, which had the budget approaching three quarters of a trillion dollars this year and moving up more in 2012 and beyond.
Questions about the wisdom of continuing to dramatically increase the military budget every year even as the overall deficit spirals out of control are rising, though so far it remains to be seen if the new, fiscally conservative Congressmen will win out over the traditional hawks.
The "loonies" are running the asylum. Time to put Gates and company back into their padded cells.
Gates just doesn't get it, the purpose is to hollow out the military. The purpose of the USG/MIC, Mafia Industrial Complex, and the Pentagon protection racket scheme of 'fund US, the Pentagon, for protection or else…………..'. The purpose of the Pentagon is to protect the worldwide assets of the INTERNATIONAL CORPORATOCRACY PREDATORY CAPITALISTS WELFARE KINGS, many of which pay no taxes.
Let America hollow the hell out of the military!
The people with guns will get our money.
How does he get away with this? Gates talks cuts then pushes to expand by 20%? Is anybody paying attention?
Gates called for a reduction of future increases, not a reduction in reality, the phantom reduction of future increases. THE MSM recited the propaganda line of decreased funding for the Pentagon. Eugene Robinson, a complete idiot who reports on what he thinks he read, because he apparently can't read with comprehension or memory, is the most notable.
We need to cut it in HALF.
To start with!
Gates to those senators who gambling on Lockheed Martin and other war manufacturer where they have made a fortune: give us what we want or all of you be out of work.., we be engaged in endless wars and you will pick up your paycheck every months or so.., don’t ask and don’t tell.., obey the rules should be your understanding from now on.
Gates to “democrats” senators.., democrats who voted for war in Iraq and supported Bush and Paul Wolfowitz agendas: you should be able to read my lips by now.., but let me clarify myself once more.., Dick Cheney, George W. Bush and rest of the gangs are the ones running the war show.., not Obama or whatever his name is. They are just bunch of kids from Chicago and Joe Biden is their speaker.., now we all need to laugh as he (Gate) dose behind the closed doors.