That's a great idea! I'll check to see if they have any openings tomorrow. It would be great to have more time and resources to correct some of the nonsense that floats around the intertubes.
Nuclear submarines, both attack and missile, are going to be around for a long time to come. Drones and space have very little to do with their mission other than the SSBNs that were rebuilt into SSGNs. And the existing designs are already difficult to make significant improvements on. Knowing that those subs exist is a very different proposition than finding them when they are on patrol. As I wrote, they will be around for a long time to come yet.
Linking military spending to GDP is a conventional way of measuring and managing the commitment of resources, including within Europe. Unfortunately the US has to underwrite European nations that are not living up to their agreements.
Alarmed by years of cuts to military spending, the NATO secretary general, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, issued a dire public warning to European nations, noting that together they had slashed $45 billion, or the equivalent of Germany’s entire military budget, endangering the alliance’s viability, its mission and its relationship with the United States....
The United States finances nearly three-quarters of NATO’s military spending, up from 63 percent in 2001. And yet among the alliance’s 28 nations, experts note, only the United States, Britain and Greece are meeting NATO’s own spending guidelines of 2 percent of gross domestic product. Even Britain and France — the two leading European nations willing to project military might — are slipping further. France says that by 2014 it may cut deeper still — to just 1.3 percent of G.D.P., down from 1.9 percent this year. By comparison, the United States spent 4.8 percent of its G.D.P. on the military in 2011.
In 2012, for the first time, military spending among Asian nations, in particular China, exceeded that of the Europeans.
“We are moving toward a Europe that is a combination of the unable and the unwilling,” said Camille Grand, a French military expert who directs the Foundation for Strategic Research. “European countries are continuing to be free riders, instead of working seriously to see how to act together.”
If the concern is the total burden on taxpayers, as your quote seems to imply, then it would be wise to look at the actual spending trends. Entitlement spending for social welfare programs far exceeds defense spending and therefore constitutes the major portion of the tax burden. The new healthcare program is going to add to that spending. Given the rapid growth of federal spending compared to median income it is little wonder that the spending per household in adjusted dollars is rapidly increasing. This isn't sustainable, especially in light of the rapidly aging generational bulge that is starting to retire now - the "baby boomers."
Far more credible than your defense spending as % total budget outlays 1945–2013, which is like saying, "hey the overall budget is growing faster than our budget increases, so... [switch off cognitive functions], See!! The long term trend in defense spending is down!!". Muddled half-truths and nonsense indeed.
The figures I linked to were defense spending as a percentage of GDP, not total budget outlays. That is a measure of the total resources devoted to defense out of total economic activity. That isn't an obscure measure. It is a simple fact that since WW2 the overall trend of defense spending has been downwards, although there have been valleys and troughs along the trend line. At the end of WW2, the US devoted approximately 38% of GDP to defense spending. In 1962 it was down to 9.3%. Over the last several years it has generally been around 4-5% of GDP. I'm not sure how you got that wrong. So, even though the dollars spent have been rising, and both inflation and value of the currency play into that, the amount of economic activity devoted to defense by the US has decreased significantly over the last 70 years.
Yet, it was only after last week’s deal to end the partial government shutdown that Republicans seemed to fully grasp the full worth of the sequester contained in the Budget Control Act of 2011.
"What the BCA showed is that Washington actually can cut spending. And because of this law, that's just what we've done. For the first time since the Korean War, government spending has declined for two years," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said last week on the Senate floor, as the deal was struck.
--------
How about I think they can't come up with 16 trillion dollars?
Are you referring to the national debt? I'm not sure that makes sense. The question any time recently hasn't been "will it grow", but "how fast." The sequester has had a meaningful impact.
Let's just say the feeling is mutual.
That's the difference then, I have data, you have feelings.
The nature of "flamebait" moderation is often interesting. It seems one may always make wild charges about the US and be considered "insightful," but one may not challenge the narrative or it is "flamebait," or a "troll."
I'm sure what I post looks "loony" to the loony left. And you've got it backwards, I'm the one that is often shooting down wacko conspiracy theories, such as 9/11 "Truthers" and various other bits of insanity. You should probably read my posts more carefully, follow the links, and reevaluate your views. If you think I'm loony level wrong, you're probably in the fever swamp.
I doubt that many people that passed through Yakima Firing Center would consider it a fabrication.
You made a not especially indirect insinuation about the use of national intelligence means for use in personal blackmail of US citizens. I am willing to entertain that such material might be made available for foreign issues. I might be willing to entertain the possibility that such materials could be used as part of a domestic espionage investigation to steer things. But for work a day economic or political matters? I think there is a burden of proof that needs to be met beyond just the fact that the technical means available make such a thing possible.
The US waterboarded three terrorists ten or more years ago* and from resulting scandal and howling, which continues to this day, you could think a regular, large supply of captured terrorists was being fed into a plastic shredder a' la Saddam's Iraq on a daily basis. The revelations about NSA surveillance in the US are largely old hat if you were reading the news in 2006 or even before - somehow they managed to slip out. The idea that the US government could or would engage in casual blackmail of US citizens would be a scandal at least as big as those, and it is hard to see how it would remain quiet. Even the use of national security letters and a variety of other matters has become known.
If you want to tap dance around the subject and hint that blackmail is going on without proof, fine, but I'll remain skeptical. Correlation without documentation doesn't necessarily equal proof. But point me towards something, if you care to. There are plenty of people on Slashdot that "know" things that aren't necessarily so.
*When the US has waterboarded probably tens of thousands of its own special forces and pilots over the years - and continues to do so.
obama is a puppet, he is owned by his handlers (military/industrial complex & wallstreet & federal reserve) and he does exactly what they want him to do
So, you are thinking that they wanted:
- The sequester to cut $50 billion per year out of the defense budget? (With the MIC already down to 4-5% of GDP from 9.3% in 1962?) - Massive new financial regulations on loans, consumer credit, and much increased Federal government oversight? - Massive increases to Federal regulations across most sectors of the economy which raise the cost of business and threaten uncertainty? - The Obamacare debacle?
You think they seek their own weakening or destruction? I think you haven't thought that through all the way.
You don't think there are more possibilities than your binary choice? They can only be either looking for terrorists or "industrial espionage for fascist criminal gangster military/industrial complex profits"?
How do you know it might not have been for diplomatic intelligence given the growing possibility of the EU splitting up over the financial crisis and problems between Greece and Germany?
How do you know it wasn't regarding internal policy discussions about Germany's recently revealed ethnic problems, one that will become relatively more important in the coming years?
German prosecutors said the Hamburg cell consisted of eight members: three suicide pilots, three logistical planners and two others whose role remains vague, but who might also have become suicide pilots. The cell was active and embarking on the plot to attack US targets by the summer of 1999, the prosecutors said. Mohammed Atta, a wealthy Egyptian, is believed to have been a key figure in the Hamburg cell, but also the ringleader of all 19 of the 9/11 hijackers.
Or perhaps there was a concern about government links to neo-Nazis?
An agent working for Germany's answer to MI5 was at the scene of one of the 10 murders carried out by neo-Nazi terrorists, the domestic intelligence agency has confirmed, fuelling speculation that the killers' movements were known to the authorities during their 13 years on the run.
Perhaps there is a concern about another country developing WMD with assistance from German companies?
in 2010 the German government stated in response to a parliamentary enquiry: “The responsibility for the events of Halabja lies with the past Iraqi government under Saddam Hussein.” Many documents and sources, though, not only suggest that German cooperation was essential for the Iraqi poison gas program. They also show that there was already some awareness about this in Germany back then. All the same, the relevant goods were delivered.....
The German government is jointly responsible for the suffering of the people of Halabja. 70 percent of the equipment for Iraqi chemical weapons plants were delivered by German companies. German foreign intelligence service personnel had been present in at least one of these companies. Most parts to enhance Iraq’s rockets, grenades and missiles were delivered from Germany.
Since you want to follow conspiracy theories, how do you know that it wasn't a possible crypto-communist in the administration deliberately undertaking high risk activities with the US intelligence apparatus that were likely to be discovered, to expose it and cripple it prior to the end of the administration?
There are certainly many more possibilities than just the two you propose. The one thing obvious to me is that you are not a serious person.
If that were true I would expect it would be pretty high priority for Greenwald to leak, and there is nothing like it so far from him, or anyone else for that matter. Due to the total lack of supporting data I'm going to call this a wild fabrication.
Now if only there was the slightest bit of proof that sort of thing was even an occasional occurrence regarding the treatment of US citizens by the NSA.
Naturally, the French would be outraged. What government would be happy to learn that a close ally was secretly monitoring its people? Then again, it was revealed in 2010 that France conducts its own espionage activities here on U.S. soil. What's more, French officials have been aware of the NSA program in France for months. Oh, and also, France's intelligence agencies have established an electronic surveillance system of their own that monitors their citizens' phone conversations, emails, texts and even their Twitter posts.
It is interesting to see the contrast between a hard science publication opening itself to comments while Popular Science has stopped accepting comments. Given the controls they are putting in place, and the importance of maintaining a profession reputation, I expect their experience with comments will be better than relatively uncontrolled access.
Slashdot Mirror
Don't forget jealousy.
But anyway, I hear the European "union" is not a happy one.
Railing against the 'Fourth Reich': Anti-German Mood Heats Up in Greece
And someone is the family might be hearing the voices of ghosts of the past.
Germany shocked by secret service link to rightwing terror cell
And the "hired help" has caused some concerns.
Kohl wanted to reduce Germany's Turkish population by one half
Who can tell what will happen?
That's a great idea! I'll check to see if they have any openings tomorrow. It would be great to have more time and resources to correct some of the nonsense that floats around the intertubes.
It was actually 2 Marine generals - for failure in Afghanistan, as well as both a USAF general, and an admiral, for the Strategic command.
The "purge" has been going on for years, but has little to do with reducing staff per se, although the sequester may result in some consolidations.
Nuclear submarines, both attack and missile, are going to be around for a long time to come. Drones and space have very little to do with their mission other than the SSBNs that were rebuilt into SSGNs. And the existing designs are already difficult to make significant improvements on. Knowing that those subs exist is a very different proposition than finding them when they are on patrol. As I wrote, they will be around for a long time to come yet.
Linking military spending to GDP is a conventional way of measuring and managing the commitment of resources, including within Europe. Unfortunately the US has to underwrite European nations that are not living up to their agreements.
Shrinking Europe Military Spending Stirs Concern - April 22, 2013
Alarmed by years of cuts to military spending, the NATO secretary general, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, issued a dire public warning to European nations, noting that together they had slashed $45 billion, or the equivalent of Germany’s entire military budget, endangering the alliance’s viability, its mission and its relationship with the United States. ...
The United States finances nearly three-quarters of NATO’s military spending, up from 63 percent in 2001. And yet among the alliance’s 28 nations, experts note, only the United States, Britain and Greece are meeting NATO’s own spending guidelines of 2 percent of gross domestic product. Even Britain and France — the two leading European nations willing to project military might — are slipping further. France says that by 2014 it may cut deeper still — to just 1.3 percent of G.D.P., down from 1.9 percent this year. By comparison, the United States spent 4.8 percent of its G.D.P. on the military in 2011.
In 2012, for the first time, military spending among Asian nations, in particular China, exceeded that of the Europeans.
“We are moving toward a Europe that is a combination of the unable and the unwilling,” said Camille Grand, a French military expert who directs the Foundation for Strategic Research. “European countries are continuing to be free riders, instead of working seriously to see how to act together.”
If the concern is the total burden on taxpayers, as your quote seems to imply, then it would be wise to look at the actual spending trends. Entitlement spending for social welfare programs far exceeds defense spending and therefore constitutes the major portion of the tax burden. The new healthcare program is going to add to that spending. Given the rapid growth of federal spending compared to median income it is little wonder that the spending per household in adjusted dollars is rapidly increasing. This isn't sustainable, especially in light of the rapidly aging generational bulge that is starting to retire now - the "baby boomers."
Far more credible than your defense spending as % total budget outlays 1945–2013, which is like saying, "hey the overall budget is growing faster than our budget increases, so... [switch off cognitive functions], See!! The long term trend in defense spending is down!!". Muddled half-truths and nonsense indeed.
The figures I linked to were defense spending as a percentage of GDP, not total budget outlays. That is a measure of the total resources devoted to defense out of total economic activity. That isn't an obscure measure. It is a simple fact that since WW2 the overall trend of defense spending has been downwards, although there have been valleys and troughs along the trend line. At the end of WW2, the US devoted approximately 38% of GDP to defense spending. In 1962 it was down to 9.3%. Over the last several years it has generally been around 4-5% of GDP. I'm not sure how you got that wrong. So, even though the dollars spent have been rising, and both inflation and value of the currency play into that, the amount of economic activity devoted to defense by the US has decreased significantly over the last 70 years.
The current charts reflect that.
As to Heritage, the numbers aren't really going to change if you go to a different source - as long as its accurate.
If it doesn't work then it's not "massive".
If it doesn't work it's smoke and mirror bullshit.
Maybe you better actually look before making wild comments. The sequester is in effect and reducing the budget.
What to Cut? Sequester offers lessons in latest budget talks
Yet, it was only after last week’s deal to end the partial government shutdown that Republicans seemed to fully grasp the full worth of the sequester contained in the Budget Control Act of 2011.
"What the BCA showed is that Washington actually can cut spending. And because of this law, that's just what we've done. For the first time since the Korean War, government spending has declined for two years," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said last week on the Senate floor, as the deal was struck.
--------
How about I think they can't come up with 16 trillion dollars?
Are you referring to the national debt? I'm not sure that makes sense. The question any time recently hasn't been "will it grow", but "how fast." The sequester has had a meaningful impact.
Let's just say the feeling is mutual.
That's the difference then, I have data, you have feelings.
The nature of "flamebait" moderation is often interesting. It seems one may always make wild charges about the US and be considered "insightful," but one may not challenge the narrative or it is "flamebait," or a "troll."
I'm sure what I post looks "loony" to the loony left. And you've got it backwards, I'm the one that is often shooting down wacko conspiracy theories, such as 9/11 "Truthers" and various other bits of insanity. You should probably read my posts more carefully, follow the links, and reevaluate your views. If you think I'm loony level wrong, you're probably in the fever swamp.
The sad thing is... that Obama probably doesn't know either way.
So you're thinking that the Obama administration isn't even "transparent" to Obama? ...... I'm not buying that.
Shades of, "If Only the Tsar Knew! "
Hmmm, looks like I need to find a spelling bee. ;D
They mysteries and wonder of creation still have many secrets to reveal and lessons to instruct the attentive.
I doubt that many people that passed through Yakima Firing Center would consider it a fabrication.
You made a not especially indirect insinuation about the use of national intelligence means for use in personal blackmail of US citizens. I am willing to entertain that such material might be made available for foreign issues. I might be willing to entertain the possibility that such materials could be used as part of a domestic espionage investigation to steer things. But for work a day economic or political matters? I think there is a burden of proof that needs to be met beyond just the fact that the technical means available make such a thing possible.
The US waterboarded three terrorists ten or more years ago* and from resulting scandal and howling, which continues to this day, you could think a regular, large supply of captured terrorists was being fed into a plastic shredder a' la Saddam's Iraq on a daily basis. The revelations about NSA surveillance in the US are largely old hat if you were reading the news in 2006 or even before - somehow they managed to slip out. The idea that the US government could or would engage in casual blackmail of US citizens would be a scandal at least as big as those, and it is hard to see how it would remain quiet. Even the use of national security letters and a variety of other matters has become known.
If you want to tap dance around the subject and hint that blackmail is going on without proof, fine, but I'll remain skeptical. Correlation without documentation doesn't necessarily equal proof. But point me towards something, if you care to. There are plenty of people on Slashdot that "know" things that aren't necessarily so.
*When the US has waterboarded probably tens of thousands of its own special forces and pilots over the years - and continues to do so.
obama is a puppet, he is owned by his handlers (military/industrial complex & wallstreet & federal reserve) and he does exactly what they want him to do
So, you are thinking that they wanted:
- The sequester to cut $50 billion per year out of the defense budget? (With the MIC already down to 4-5% of GDP from 9.3% in 1962?)
- Massive new financial regulations on loans, consumer credit, and much increased Federal government oversight?
- Massive increases to Federal regulations across most sectors of the economy which raise the cost of business and threaten uncertainty?
- The Obamacare debacle?
You think they seek their own weakening or destruction? I think you haven't thought that through all the way.
You don't think there are more possibilities than your binary choice? They can only be either looking for terrorists or "industrial espionage for fascist criminal gangster military/industrial complex profits"?
How do you know it might not have been for diplomatic intelligence given the growing possibility of the EU splitting up over the financial crisis and problems between Greece and Germany?
Railing against the 'Fourth Reich': Anti-German Mood Heats Up in Greece
How do you know it wasn't regarding internal policy discussions about Germany's recently revealed ethnic problems, one that will become relatively more important in the coming years?
Kohl wanted to reduce Germany's Turkish population by one half
Especially in light of the fact that Germany was home to one of the 9/11 terror cells?
The Hamburg connection
German prosecutors said the Hamburg cell consisted of eight members: three suicide pilots, three logistical planners and two others whose role remains vague, but who might also have become suicide pilots. The cell was active and embarking on the plot to attack US targets by the summer of 1999, the prosecutors said. Mohammed Atta, a wealthy Egyptian, is believed to have been a key figure in the Hamburg cell, but also the ringleader of all 19 of the 9/11 hijackers.
Or perhaps there was a concern about government links to neo-Nazis?
Germany shocked by secret service link to rightwing terror cell
An agent working for Germany's answer to MI5 was at the scene of one of the 10 murders carried out by neo-Nazi terrorists, the domestic intelligence agency has confirmed, fuelling speculation that the killers' movements were known to the authorities during their 13 years on the run.
Perhaps there is a concern about another country developing WMD with assistance from German companies?
HALABJA / ANFAL 1988 - 2013
in 2010 the German government stated in response to a parliamentary enquiry: “The responsibility for the events of Halabja lies with the past Iraqi government under Saddam Hussein.” Many documents and sources, though, not only suggest that German cooperation was essential for the Iraqi poison gas program. They also show that there was already some awareness about this in Germany back then. All the same, the relevant goods were delivered. ....
The German government is jointly responsible for the suffering of the people of Halabja. 70 percent of the equipment for Iraqi chemical weapons plants were delivered by German companies. German foreign intelligence service personnel had been present in at least one of these companies. Most parts to enhance Iraq’s rockets, grenades and missiles were delivered from Germany.
Since you want to follow conspiracy theories, how do you know that it wasn't a possible crypto-communist in the administration deliberately undertaking high risk activities with the US intelligence apparatus that were likely to be discovered, to expose it and cripple it prior to the end of the administration?
There are certainly many more possibilities than just the two you propose. The one thing obvious to me is that you are not a serious person.
If that were true I would expect it would be pretty high priority for Greenwald to leak, and there is nothing like it so far from him, or anyone else for that matter. Due to the total lack of supporting data I'm going to call this a wild fabrication.
So you wouldn't mind one of your friends tapping your phones?
I hear that is known to happen inside families: husband-wife, parents-children, sibling-sibling.
The "family of nations" is a dysfunctional family.
When GWB gave her a backrub, he must have been secretly planting a bug.
I'm pretty sure that GWB didn't give her either the flu or crabs. I'm sure we would have heard something about that.
Now if only there was the slightest bit of proof that sort of thing was even an occasional occurrence regarding the treatment of US citizens by the NSA.
Sadly it appears that even the submarine fleet is now being compromised by political correctness. Heaven help us.
I'll thank you for your patrols, and wish you fair winds and following seas.
If you answered "yes" to either of these questions, then you can assume that yes, the NSA is monitoring you.
Along with the Chinese, Russians, French, British, Canadians, ...., and just about everyone else in the local neighborhood.
But they do! They are all "shocked" by these discoveries.
I am shocked. Shocked! That a country--any country--would spy on a foreign head of state.
What a world we live in
As long as you are "shocked, shocked," in this manner, you are correct.
NSA, France and spy wars
Naturally, the French would be outraged. What government would be happy to learn that a close ally was secretly monitoring its people? Then again, it was revealed in 2010 that France conducts its own espionage activities here on U.S. soil. What's more, French officials have been aware of the NSA program in France for months. Oh, and also, France's intelligence agencies have established an electronic surveillance system of their own that monitors their citizens' phone conversations, emails, texts and even their Twitter posts.
It is interesting to see the contrast between a hard science publication opening itself to comments while Popular Science has stopped accepting comments. Given the controls they are putting in place, and the importance of maintaining a profession reputation, I expect their experience with comments will be better than relatively uncontrolled access.
Maybe this is a clue as to some of the reasons a couple of high ranking officers have been fired in that command recently. Figures.